Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 2, 1923. 1,440,935. W. G. SEE.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

FILED MAR. 28, 1922. 4 SHEETSSHEET I.

Jan. 2, 1923. W. 0. SEE.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

FILED MAR. 28, I922.

awe 0111043 Jan. 2, 1923. 1,440,935.

w. G. SEE.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

FILED MAR. 28. I922- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Jan. 2, 1923. 1,440,935. W. G. SEE.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

FILED MAR. 28. 1922. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented Jan. 2, 1923..

warren 'as WALTER G. SEE, OF KAlqSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 28, 1922. Serial No. 547,530.

citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county ofJackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Refrig.

crating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.-

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to thesmall selfcontained units intended for use with domestic refrigeratorsof the type commonly known as iceless refrigerators.

It is an object of this invention to improve the construction ofrefrigerating apparatus of the type used with iceless refrigerators. Anobject of this invention is to provide an efficient condenser for use inrefrigerating apparatus of the type stated. An object is to providea-refrigerating apparatus which will not be dependent upon air-coolingor upon water circulation for dissipating the heat of compression of therefrigerant during the running of the com- I pressor. A further objectof the invention is to provide a refrigeratingapparatus which includesan efiicient oil separator.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of my invention;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator box to which my inventionis applied;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the refrigerator box and myrefrigerating apparatus, and taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a similar vertical section and taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4is a perspective view of the plate which supports thecompressor-condenser ppa Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectiontaken through the condenser tank' and above the condenser coil;

Fig. 6 is a detail partly in section showing the construction of thecondenser pipe and'the outlet therefrom; y

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section through another form of myapparatus; and

Fig. 8 is an elevation, partly in section,

of the compressor and oil separator shown in Fig. 7.

In the drawings, the refrigerator box with which my refrigeratingapparatus is used is designated by the numeral 1, and as here shown thebox 1 is of the usual domestic type and includes a refrigeratingcompartment 2 and a plurality of food receiving compartments 3. Therefrigerator box 1 may be of any desired construction and it may be'aseparately formed unit such as customarily employs ice for the coolingmedium or it may be originally designed and manufactured for use withrefrigerating apparatus embodying my invention. In the apparatus theexpansion or refrigerating coil 4 is located in a brine tank 5 which isarranged in the refrigerating compartment 2 of the box 1, and thebrinetank 5 is preferably provided with an interior chamber 6 having racks.for the reception of molds for forming ice for table orother use. Theother elements of the apparatus are carried upon a base 7 which restsupon the top of the refrigerator box 1, it being obvious however thatthe top of the refrigerator box may constitute the supporting base, ifdesired. The motor 8, compressor 9 and condenser tank-10 are mountedupon a plate 11, which as is best shown in Fig. 4 has openingstherethrough for the free circulation of air. The plate 11 is spacedfrom the base? by resilient means such as springs 12 which deaden thevibration set up by the moving parts durlng the operation of thecompressor.

The condenser tank 10 is preferably formed with outer walls which asviewed in plan form a rectangle having sides which are flush with theedges of the plate 11, and with inner walls which, in plan view, arealso rectangular. This construction provides a passage extendingvertically through the tank 10 within which passage the motor andcompressor are arranged, and for convenience of description in thespecification and claims a tank embodying this construction will betermed as having the form of a double walled shell. The tank 10 containsa supersaturated solution of a chemical salt or salts having a highlatent heat of solution, such for example, as ammonium chlorid orammonium nitrate, or a mixture of these salts. Within the condenser tank10 is located the condenser pipe which is preferably in the form of anendless or closed coil 13 having a gas inlet pipe l-t and a liquidoutlet pipe 15 connected thereto. At the point where the pipe 15 isconnected, the coil 13 is provided with a depression 16 so that the pipe15 which extends into the coil 13 may have its mouth located at thelevel of the bottom of the. main portion of the coil 13. The pipes 14:,15 extend upwardly from the coil 13 and pass through the top of. thetank 10, the joints between the pipes and the tank being hermeticallysealed. preferably by bushings 1T. 17 which are welded or brazed both tothe tank and to the respective pipes. The filling opening of the tank 10is preferably provided with a cap 18 for hern'ietically sealing the tankto prevent evaporation of the solrution. The pipe 14 is connected to thehigh pressure. side of the compressor by a pipe 19having a stopcoc: 20,and the pipe 15 is connected with the expansion coil -1 by a pipe :21which is provided with a stopcock 22 and. an expansion valve 23. Therefrigerant circuit is completed by a pipe 24 which connects the lowpressure side of the expansion coil 4 with the low pressure side of thecompressor 9.

The motor 8 which is connected to an electric light socket by means ofthe usual flexible conductors and detachable plug, not shown, isautomatically controlled by a thermostat 25 arranged on the brine tank 5near the outlet end of the expansion coil 4, the details of thisautomatic controll being well known in the art and forming no part of myinvention.

For the double purpose of avoiding the unsightly appearanceof the partsof the apparatus which are mounted above the top of the refrigerator boxand of providing an efficient circulation of air around these parts, aventilated cover 27 is mounted on the base 7 and encloses the condensertank 10 and associated parts. The cover 27 which is provided withscreened openings 28 near the bottom. thereof and with a screened topopening 29 conforms in general shape and finish to the design of therefrigerator box 1. If desired a protecting screen 30 may be arrangedover the moving parts of the apparatus and mounted on the condenser tank10.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is illustrated a form of my apparatus which includes anelficient s ep-- arator for removing the lubricant from therefrigerator. In general, the construction is Similar to that abovedescribed and includes a motor 8, a compressor 9 and a condenser tank 10which are carried by a plate 11. A condenser coil 13 is located in thetank 10 and pipes 21 and 24 connect the expansion coil which islocated'in brine tank 5 with pipe 15 and with the inlet side of thecompressor 9, respectively. The high pressure side of the compressorisconnected by a pipe 31 to an intermediate portion of separating chamber32 which has a cross sectional area materially greater than that of pipe31. This enlargement in the refrigerant line causes a reduction in thevelocity of the mixture of refrigerant gas and lubricant which permitsthe liquid lubricant to settle to the bottom of the chamber 32. Therefrigerant gas moves upward through a perforated plate or screen 33which removes the last traces of the lubricant and passes out throughthe pipe 3% and check valve. 35 to the inlet pipe 1-1 of the condensercoil 13. The bottom of the chamber 32 is provided with a passage3(iwhich communicates with the crank case of the compressor 9 by meansof a pipe 37, the opening from the chamber 32 into the passage 36 beingcont-rolled by a valve 38 having av float 39 connected thereto. Aby-pass 40 establishes communication between the crank case and the pipe24 which leads to the low pressure side of the compressor. A pressuregauge &1 may be located in the high pressure line that runs from thecondenser, and preferably between the separating chamber 32 and thecheck valve 35. When the compressor is running the pressure in thechamber 32 will hold the valve 38 to its seat. even though the level ofthe lubricant rises above the float 39. 1V hen the compressor stops theleakage of gas under high pressure through the pipe 31 and past thevalves of the compressor into the pipe 24 and by-pass 40 allows thepressures in the chamber 32 and the crank case to become equalized.\Vhen the pres sures are equalized the float 39 will lift the valve 38-from its seat and allow the lubricant to flow from the separatingchamber into the crank case of the compressor.

The operation of the refrigerating apparatus is similar, in a generalway, to that of previous forms of apparatus of this type. \Vhen thetemperature in the brine tank 5 risesv above a predetermined point thethermostat 25 cuts in the motor 8 and the compressor forces gas underhigh pressure into the condenser coil 13 where it is lique fied. Therefrigerant then passes through the expansion valve 23 and expands inthe coil :1 thus absorbing heat from the brine in the tank \Vhen thetemperature of the brine has fallen to a predetermined point thethermostat cuts ofl? the motor 8, thus completing one cycle ofoperation.

As the refrigerant condenses in the coil 13 the heat of compression istaken up in part by the rise in temperature of the solution in the tank10 and also by the latent heat of solution of the chemical or chemicalswhich go into solution as the temperature rises. The liquefaction pointof the refrigerant rises with the temperature in the condenser coil andit is obvious that the temperature of the coil must be kept below thepoint where the corresponding liquefaction-pressure would causeoverloading of the motor 8. By using a solution of heat absorbingmaterial in the tank 10 the heat of compression of the refrigerant maybe taken up without causing an undue rise in the temperature of thecondenser coil. The following specific example will illustrate theoperation of my apparatus but it is to be understood that the inventionis notlimited either to the particular sizes of parts specified or tothe particular solution described. orking with sulfid dioxid as therefrigerant and with a one-third horsepower motor for running thecompressor I have found that by using a single coil of one and onehalfinch pipe for the condenser and a condenser tank holding 100 pounds ofwater and 50 pounds each of ammoniumchlorid and ammonium nitrate thatthe compressor will be in operation not more than one-third of the timeon extremely hot summer days and that the temperature of the solution inthe tank will not rise more than about 10 degrees Fahrenheit at any runof the compressor. During the rest periods of the compressor the aircirculation which is promoted by the ventilated cover 27 and the plate'11 cools off the tank 10 and the solution therein, the salts which wentinto solution on the rise in temperature being precipitated out of thesolution. Without heat absorbing salts in the solution this quantity ofwater would have attained a temperature so high that the liquefactionpressure of the refrigerant would have risen above the point where theload could have been handled by the motor. By using salts having a highlatent heat of solution it is possible to use a relatively smallcondenser tank without necessitating the use of a larger motor than thatordinarily used with condensers which are cooled by water circulation.The advantage of this const'ruction is obvious since it provides acompact refrigerating apparatus which requires no permanent connectionto the house fixtures, the only connection bein a readily detachable oneto an electric light socket. The apparatus may be located in placeswhich are too warm to allow use of refrigerators which are dependentupon air cooling of the condenser since the air cooling of the heatabsorbing solution of my device takes place during the relatively longperiods when the compressor is at rest instead of during the shorterperiods of operation of the compressor. Since the condenser tank 10 ishermetically sealedno evaporation of the solution can take place and thetank therefore requires no attention during the operation of theapparatus. The only parts of the apparatus which need attention are themotor and compressor and these elements can remain in use fora longperiod before any overhauling is needed.

\Vhile the embodiments described are the preferred forms of my apparatusit is to be understood that they are but illustrative of my inventionand that various changes in the parts, their relative sizes, shapes,proportions and locations 'may be made without departing from the spiritof my invention.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, an expansion coil, a condenser, andmeans for circulating a refrigerant from said expension coil to saidcondenser, saidcondenser comprising a condenser tank containing asupersaturated solution of a chemical having a high latent heat ofsolution, and a condenser pipe located in heat conductive relation tothe solution in said tank.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, an expansion coil, a condenser, andmeans for circulating a refrigerant from said expansion coil to saidcondenser, said condenser comprising a condenser tank containing asupersaturated solution of a chemical having a high latent heat ofsolution. and a condenser pipe located in said tank.

'3. In a refrigerating apparatus, an expansion coil, a condenser, andmeans for circulating a refrigerant from said expansion COll to saidcondenser, said condenser comprising a condenser tank containing asupersaturated solution of a chemical having a high. latent heat of.solution, and an endless condenser coil having a continuous passagetherethrough and located in the bottom of said tank.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a plate, a motor and a.compressor mounted on said plate, a condenser tank mounted on said plateand containing a supersaturated solution of a chemical having a highlatent heat of solution, a condenser pipe located in said tank, anexpansion coil, and pipes completing the refrigerant circuit.

5. A refrigerating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which thecondenser tank comprises a double walled shell. i

6. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a base, a plate supported on andspaced from said base, said plate having ventilating openingstherethrough, a motor and compressor mounted on said plate, a sealedcondenser tank mounted on said plate and containing a supersaturatedsolution of a chemical having ahigh latent heat of solution, a condenserpipe located in said tank, an expansion coil, and pipes completing therefrigerant circuit.

, 7. In a refrigerating apparatus, an expansion coil, a base adapted tobe placed on the top of a refrigerator box, a plate having ventilatingopenings therethrough, resilient means supporting and spacing said platefrom said base, a motor and compressor mounted on said plate, acondenser tank pipes completing the refrigerant circuit and mounted onsaid plate and having the form a ventilated cover mounted on said baseand of a double walled rectangular shell surenclosing saidmotor-coxnpressor-condenser l0 rounding said motor and compressor, saidelements.

tank containing a supersaturated solution of In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

:1 chemical having a high latent heat of solution, a condenser coillocated in said tank, YVALTER G. SEE.

